1. Field
Disclosed herein is an intramedullary linkage device for use in long-bone fracture fixation, and more particularly, an intramedullary linkage device used for long-bone fracture fixation in the setting of a preexisting implant.
2. Description of the Related Art
Total hip arthroplasty and/or intramedullary hip nail fixation are established treatments for hip arthritis and/or a proximal femur fracture, respectively. With an aging population, these procedures are becoming more and more common. However, with the increased number of hip procedures performed and implants placed comes an increasing number of peri-prosthetic, shaft, or distal femur fractures occurring in patients with preexisting hip implants.
There exist multiple surgical options for this problem, none of which provides a satisfactory solution. Options include removal of the hip implant or prosthesis and replacement with a long-stemmed version, plating of the fracture, often with cable fixation in areas where the preexisting implant blocks screw placement, retrograde intramedullary nail placement from the knee, or a combination thereof. Unfortunately, none of these solutions is an optimal one.